1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to storage containers for retaining disk shaped objects, and more particularly to storage cases that provide for the safe holding of individual laser disks and that provide for the convenient removal therefrom and replacement therein of the disk.
2. Background
Laser disks are currently available in a variety of formats containing audio and/or video material recorded thereon. Such disks are typically packaged and sold at the retail level in individual plastic protective containers or cases. These containers usually includes written and pictorial printed matter therein for the purpose of describing and identifying the material recorded on the disk. Also, such containers typically include two halves hinged together along a common edge allowing the disk to be removed therefrom by opening the two container halves in a book like fashion. These plastic containers are intended to provide, not only for packaging of the disk, but also as a means for its storage after purchase by the consumer. Unfortunately, it has been found that the hinged opening retrieval system is not particularly convenient, and is conducive to leaving of the disks out of their containers. Thus, the disks can easily become disorganized, and more importantly, are then more susceptible to reduction in playback quality due to mechanical damage and to accumulations on the surfaces thereof of dust and other unwanted foreign matter. In addition, hinged disk cases are not ideally suited for use in a multiple storage system, as each case must ultimately be selected individually and removed therefrom, and then opened to retrieve the disk.
A disk retaining case has been proposed that include a disk retaining spine slideably engageable within an outer protective cover, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,849 to Prusak et al. However, such containers are made to be inserted into a cooperatively designed disk playing machine, after which the protective disk cover is removed from the machine and the disk separated from the spine by the machine. This approach applies primarily to disks containing video information, and is used to minimize the accumulation of foreign material on, and damage to the surfaces of the disk by preventing the necessity of direct handling thereof and exposure to an unprotected environment to which video disks are particularly susceptible. However, such a method of disk storage and playing is not used for all laser disk formats as it requires a more complex and expensive playing machine.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a laser disk container that permits easy removal therefrom and replacement therein of the disk, and is therefore, conducive to a more orderly and safe storage of the disk.